Sweet and Spicy Pork and Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry with Spicy Noodles

"The Thai sweet chili sauce gives this dish a sweet and spicy flavor that my kids love. You can adjust the heat level by adding more or less of the sauce or adding additional red pepper flakes, if you like it really hot."

Directions

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the Chinese noodles, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

Whisk together the 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, the ground ginger, and the sesame oil in a large bowl; add the drained Chinese noodles and toss to coat; set aside

Whisk together the 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in a large bowl; add the pork and stir to coat. Allow to marinate 5 minutes.

Heat the cooking oil in a wok or a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, onions, and red pepper flakes to the oil; cook until the pork is browned completely. Stir in 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce, the napa cabbage, celery, carrots, and bell peppers; cook and stir until vegetables are completely heated, about 5 minutes. Whisk together the cornstarch and water and add to the stir fry, stirring until the mixture thickens. Serve the stir-fry over the noodles.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Feb 03, 2009

I was looking for a recipe to use some pork tenderloin strips I had in the freezer. I hit the jackpot. I took this over to a casual family dinner and they said it was the best stir fry they had ever had. The only thing I ommitted was the ginger because I don't like it, and I put a few more carrots and only 2 red peppers but followed exactly otherwise. I used the Chinese noodles but a thin spaghetti would also work fine. Very very good. Thank you.

Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 14, 2011

I do like the versatility of this recipe. It's adaptable to whatever meat/veggies you want.
One major change I would make if i were to make this dish again is to reduce the sweet chili sauce to less than 1/4 cup and the sesame oil to 1 Tbsp or less. Sesame oil has a really strong flavor and you don't need a lot. My dish was WAY too sweet and I'm surprised more reviews don't state that.
Definitely add more veggies if you have them on hand. Shitake mushrooms would be a good too.

I made this last night with a couple of modifications. I used spaghetti instead of chinese noodles because that is what I had on hand. I also used fresh garlic and ginger- taste so much better then the dry. I used green onions instead of the white- just personal preference. I used only 1 Tablespoon of the sweet chile sauce and the rest I used the garlic chili sauce- we like spicy more than sweet. Instead of napa I used regular cabbage because I had that on hand from a corned beef. This is a forgiving recipe and you can really add or subtract your flavors, veggies and spiciness based on your personal preferences. It made a HUGE amount of food. Thanks for sharing.

Loved this receipe, had to use flank steak instead of pork. I thought the vegetabes and meat mixture was bland, but boy o boy, mixed in with the noodles the taste was outstanding. The vegetables and meat took away some of the heat from the noodles. If you can stand it, the dressed noodles are good by themselves too.

This recipe is so versatile! Thank you! I used left over pork roast that was marinated asian style, fresh garlic and ginger because I had them on hand, and angel hair pasta. Love recipes that you can follow exactly or adapt to what you have on hand. The fiance licked his plate!

I didn't change the ingredients much in this dish except to use fresh garlic and ginger instead of dried. I did change the way it is put together a little, though. This recipe doesn't say what to do with the marinade, so I removed the pork and drained it well. I seared the pork first in a very hot wok and then removed it from the pan. Then I browned the onions, peppers, celery and carrot (which I grated) before adding the pork back in along with the reserved marinade, simmered it a bit and then put in the cabbage and sweet chili sauce. For the noodles I used half sweet and half hot chile sauce and cut back the sesame oil a little. This was a bit labor-intensive with all the chopping, but we enjoyed it very much. Thanks for the recipe, thriftybob.

I joined a CSA this year and didn't know what to do with nappa cabbage and found this recipe. Awesome, just awesome. I substituted chicken breast. Just a nice heat...just as is. If you really like heat...add more cracked red pepper to the saute. I also used whole wheat angel hair pasta. It does make enough for 6...so cut back if you are cooking for less. Thanks "thriftybob".... I'm sharing this with my CSA!!

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.